Kyle Lowry Appears to Deny Raptors Trade Rumors, Calls Out 'Lies' in IG Post

The Kyle Lowry trade rumors appear to have been greatly exaggerated.

Lowry took to Instagram on Tuesday to call out the "lies" in the media, seemingly a reference to ongoing rumors about his future with the Toronto Raptors.

Ryen Russillo of The Ringer said Monday on The Bill Simmons Podcast that Lowry has been "telling everybody for over a month that he is getting traded." The six-time All-Star is a free agent at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Curiosity about Lowry's status with the Raptors increased after he put his Toronto-area house up for sale. The Raptors were 17-19 during the first half of the 2020-21 season and could be sellers ahead of the March 25 trade deadline if team president Masai Ujiri wants to reconfigure the roster.

Lowry is averaging 18.0 points, 7.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game in his age-34 season and could be a massive help in putting a contender over the edge. The Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets are among the teams that could see a boost in their ceiling by adding Lowry to their playoff rotation. 

Lowry is also from Philadelphia and went to college at Villanova, making the Sixers an even more enticing potential homecoming.

Regardless of whether Lowry winds up being traded, his reported resignation to a Toronto departure seems premature. It's possible he's preparing to leave the team this offseason, but the Raptors aren't going to hand over the best point guard in franchise history without a significant return.